


Growing Pains

by molmcmahon



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: 5+1 Things, Don't copy to another site, Friends to Lovers, Gen, M/M, Pre-Series, Pre-Slash, Top Harry Potter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-10
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-02-18 08:29:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21741379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/molmcmahon/pseuds/molmcmahon
Summary: 5 books Harry Potter gives Spencer Reid and 1 book Spencer gives Harry
Relationships: Harry Potter/Spencer Reid
Comments: 32
Kudos: 469





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own either HP or Criminal Minds.

    1. _“There’s not a word yet for old friends who’ve just met.”_ _– Jim Henson_



Harry sighed and looked out over the city of Las Vegas, shielding his eyes from the sun as the taxi surged into traffic. Aunt Petunia raised an eyebrow at him and he stared back. Her eyes widened and she turned back to fussing over Dudley again.

“Do we really have to stay in this hot city for a year?” Dudley argued, crossing his arms. “I want to go back home.”

“Yes, Duddykins. Your father’s work transferred him for another year,” Petunia replied, smiling wider at Dudley. “We’re going to be making more money and that means more money for presents.”

“I get to have more?! I want more!”

Harry grimaced and turned to look out the window again as they turned into a more suburban neighborhood of Las Vegas. The City that Never Slept. At least his aunt and uncle were slightly scared of him this summer. The threat of Sirius Black had kept them on their best behavior until now and Harry hoped that the threat would stick in their minds. 

The city was definitely more crowded than London though and he had never seen this many lights on at night before. The Dursley’s had picked him up from Kings Cross station at the end of the school year and then had promptly taken him to the airport, something about Vernon taking a position in Las Vegas for a year. 

Harry watched as the taxi stopped at a stop sign and then plowed through the intersection when it was clear, pulling into a driveway four houses down. The house that the driveway led to was… small in comparison with the others but it looked bigger than the house on Privet Drive. It was a two story house, with several windows facing the front. And it looked very similar to the other houses in the neighborhood.

Everything was very cookie cutter like and new, not an ounce of personality to the residences. He could see a set of buildings a mile south of the neighborhood, ones that looked very much like an American high school. Of course Harry wouldn’t be attending that at all or any other schools in the country but it did make him a little curious. He did wonder what muggle high schools were like... at least a little.

As soon as Dudley and Petunia got out of the car, he slid out himself and looked up at the house that would be his home for the next three months. Hopefully there was no cupboard under the stairs in this one though he had spent last summer in Dudley’s second bedroom. He carefully reached in for Hedwig’s cage, smiling at her when she untucked her head from her feathers.

“Go back to sleep, girl. We’re just moving.”

“No funny business here, Harry,” Petunia said, drawing his attention to her as he walked up the path to the house. “Mind the neighbors.”

Harry rolled his eyes and dug his trunk out of the taxi too, passing his aunt and cousin. “Yes, Aunt Petunia. I’ll keep to myself.”

“Good.”

Harry idly walked through the open door of the house and looked around, taking in the kitchen and the living room before heading for the stairs.

  
  


* * *

He waited for Dudley to pick a bedroom before choosing the one leftover for himself and unpacking for a while. Harry made sure his trunk was under the bed and that Hedwig had a view out through the window and then walked out, closing the door behind him. Dudley hadn’t bothered him since he had first come back from his third year and he hoped that his cousin wouldn’t start again.

The lack of his cousin’s friends certainly would be difficult for him and Harry’s lips twitched up into a small grin. At least he wouldn’t have to deal with them this summer. 

“I’m going out, Aunt Petunia!”

He left before she inevitably decided to not answer and walked out through the front door, stuck his hands in his pockets to make sure his wand was in one of them and took off. The sun was low on the horizon and it was a very dry summer unlike what it would be in London. There were a few clouds in the sky but none that promised rain or moisture so he didn’t take a jacket, just kept to a shirt and jeans. 

He ventured north, towards the high school and looked around at their new neighbors for the summer. Some were clearly just arriving home from work while others were sipping iced coffee on their porches. The high school kids looked to have gotten out of school recently as some kids were still hanging around.

The football stadium was large and he idly wondered how it was played but then decided he didn’t care. Quidditch was fun enough for him. He walked around the buildings, a 13 year old boy and didn’t draw any attention. Lockers lined the walls and bathrooms were sprinkled throughout the halls and he idly walked over to what looked like the library, poking his head inside briefly. It looked just what a normal library looked like, minus the flying books that Hogwarts had. 

He continued on, heading towards the football stadium and track field, and followed a stream of students, hearing loud shouts and yells. Harry wondered if there was a football match in session and he glanced towards the raised seats that surrounded the field, expecting to see people going to their seats. It was late in the afternoon, after the school day, so perhaps it was a game but then… There were no people in the seats and no one was wearing football uniforms.

Harry raised an eyebrow, gripping onto his wand in his pocket and moved through the crowds as the jeering grew louder. The crowd ended up stopping in front of a goalpost and Harry stood on his tiptoes to see what was going on and flinched, his eyes narrowing at the sight. There was a kid tied to the goal post, ropes tied tightly around his waist, ankles and wrists. The kid didn’t even look like a high school student; he was definitely younger than 16 and perhaps even a year younger than Harry.

The boy had shaggy brown hair and bright brown eyes and his skin had gone pale, his legs shaking. Harry grimaced and turned to the other kids around him, the bigger, bulkier boys who were clearly on the football team and the girls as well. None of them took note of him as they were yelling at the boy that they had tied to the post but as Harry looked back at the boy, their eyes met. Green to brown.

Harry sucked in a tight breath, looked around for any adults and gripped his wand tighter. He idly wondered what the limits on underage magic were in the US and he hadn’t heard anything from MACUSA yet but he didn’t want to take any chances. The hooting of an owl drew his attention over to the tree a few feet away, behind the bleachers, and he grinned. Hedwig stared right down at him, her golden eyes dark and rather annoyed.

Harry gestured at the crowd of high school students then at the boy tied to the goalpost. Hedwig hooted louder, this time she definitely sounded amused, and then ruffled her feathers, extending her wings out and jumped off the branch she was perched on and flew low. 

The students on the perimeter of the crowd yelped, stumbling back a bit as the owl flew close to their heads, its claws out. More cries rang out in the football stadium and Harry let out a surprised snort of laughter as Hedwig dive bombed a particularly broad boy and then pulled off at the last possible minute. The boy screamed and ran off and that was like the first domino in a group. All of the students ran off, covering their heads with their arms and yelling about freaky birds.

Harry’s lips twitched in amusement and waited until all was clear before running over towards the goalpost. The boy’s brown eyes were wide as he stared down at him, his mouth slightly open in surprise.

“Hey, you alright?” Harry asked, as he walked right up to the post and started to untie the boy. He started with the boy’s arms and worked his way downward, meeting the boy’s eyes as he did. Hedwig hooted quietly as she landed on top of the goalpost, peering down at him.

“Owls are active at night and snowy owls aren’t native to Las Vegas. There are 16 species of owls in North America and that owl is in the wrong place.”

Harry paused from where he was untying the ropes around the boy’s waist. “Hedwig’s… special.”

“Hedwig?”

“Uh… She’s mine,” Harry replied, glancing down to the well tied ropes and then sighing. He curled his fingers through the hardest knot and pulled, watching it fall loose to the ground. “She’s my companion.” 

“She’s yours?”

“Well… if you could ask her, she’d probably say I’m her’s,” Harry offered, grinning a little and holding out a hand to the boy. 

The boy’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Harry and Harry looked at him. He didn’t have to look up or down as they were the same height though the boy was a bit skinnier than he was. There was something in the boy’s eyes, something like what he saw in Hermione’s eyes. A thirst for knowledge or something like that or perhaps it was the need to solve the puzzle in front of him. Harry had the feeling that he was the puzzle and grinned a little. The boy glanced to where Harry’s outstretched hand was but kept his own hands to himself and Harry withdrew his. 

“You have an owl for a pet?”

“Uh… I guess. She doesn’t like that word though,” Harry whispered, tipping his chin towards her. “What’s your name?”

“Spencer.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Harry. Why’d they tie you up like that?”

“They’re bullies.”

Harry tilted his head as he looked at Spencer and then nodded. “I got that much. Bullies. They’re common enough everywhere. My cousin is one.”

Spencer’s eyes narrowed at his words and then he shook his head, his cheeks going a little pink. “You’re from England, aren’t you? Your accent is not from Scotland or Ireland.”

“You know where each accent is from?” Harry questioned curiously, raising an eyebrow.

“I know where each accent is from,” Spencer said, lifting his shoulders in a small shrug and then curling in on himself. “It was my last day here. It was a… going away gift.”

Harry stared at Spencer, his eyes widening. “Your last day here. You… You’re a high school student?”

“I was. I’m going to CalTech in Pasadena this fall.”

Harry blinked and Spencer stared at him, his eyes narrow, almost daring him to comment. Spencer couldn’t be more than 13 years old and yet if he was telling the truth...

  
  


* * *

Spencer stared up at Harry and looked into the other boy’s green eyes. The scar on Harry’s forehead drew his attention and he wondered what could have made that kind of scarring. Harry’s owl was still staring down at them from the top of the goalpost and Spencer’s eyes widened as Hedwig looked right at him, her golden eyes narrowed.

“You’re… smart then.”

Spencer tilted his head. “Yes, I’m smart. Why are you here?”

“I heard the noise,” Harry offered, his eyes narrowed. “My uncle got a temporary job here so he had his family move here too but I’m only here for the summer.”

“I have to go,” Spencer said, pointing in the opposite direction of where Harry’s temporary home was. 

“Would you like a buddy?” 

Spencer blinked, stared at him. “Sure?”

Harry watched him go, seeing Spencer’s shoulders curl even further inward, and then hurried over to fall into step next to him. “Sooo… what do you do around here for fun?”

Spencer turned to look at him and nodded. “I’m already late. My mom knows I’m usually home by now.”

“Don’t let me keep you. I don’t know anyone here anyway.”

“Is your cousin 13 too?”

“Yeah,” Harry answered, looking up into the sky as they walked and spotting Hedwig following them from above. She kept her distance, to make it appear that she wasn’t following them exactly. She hooted quietly and flew higher into the sky as he watched and then he turned back to Spencer. “I’m not friends with him though. My friends are back in England. One of them is a little like you, I suppose. She loves to read.”

“Does she have an eidetic memory too?” Spencer questioned, his eyes widening as they headed out of the high school campus.

“No. She just really loves books. She’s saved my life a few times too,” Harry said. They headed north, whereas Harry’s temporary home was south of the high school, and turned left onto a much different neighborhood. This one wasn’t cookie cutter houses and perfect lawns. These houses didn’t look very expensive, no perfectly cut lawns or water features. They were ordinary. “What’s an eidetic memory?”

“I can remember everything I read and see,” Spencer explained wearily. “Everything.”

“Everything. That must… come in handy, I suppose.”

“I guess. The other kids think I’m a freak.”

“You’re not a freak, Spencer. You’re your own person. Everyone’s different in their own way,” Harry offered, shrugging a little as they continued to walk. “My aunt and uncle call me a freak sometimes and my cousin does too. It doesn’t mean that I’m a freak.”

Spencer stopped and turned to look at him, raising an eyebrow. “Your aunt and uncle call you a freak? Why do you live with your aunt and uncle in the first place?”

“You want to know a secret?”

“Does it have something to do with Hedwig?” Spencer asked, gesturing up at the bird with a hand.

“Yeah.”

“You don’t look like a freak.”

“You don’t either.”

Spencer stared at him, his eyes flickering before he glanced to the snowy owl flying in the air above them. “What’s your secret?”

“I’m a wizard.”

Spencer’s eyes narrowed. “Like Merlin?”

“Yes, like Merlin. He actually lived hundreds of years ago,” Harry whispered, grinning a little. “But don’t tell anyone. I’m not actually supposed to tell people.”

“You don’t look like you’re lying.”

Harry legitimately did not look like he was lying and Spencer studied him closer, his eyes narrowing. Harry was standing in front of him, his arms loose at his sides and his shoulders relaxed and open. He was breathing normally, slow even breaths making his chest rise and fall.

“I’m not. Hedwig’s my familiar,” Harry replied. “Or something like that. She’s my best friend. The wizards in Britain use owls to get mail. I don’t know if wizards in America use owls.”

Spencer nodded and looked to where his house was a few homes away, wondering if his mom was still caught up in reading her books. 

“Is that you?” Harry asked, drawing his attention back. 

“Yes. You’re a wizard.”

Harry nodded in reply and drew out a thin stick from a pocket, flipping it between his fingers. “This is my wand. 11’’ holly and phoenix feather.”

Spencer’s eyes widened and he tentatively reached out to touch it. Harry handed it over without question, keeping his green eyes on him. Spencer traced over the smooth wood of the stick, the wand, and watched as sparks of blue left the tip of it. Harry sucked in a tight breath but didn’t comment.

“Magic is real,” Spencer murmured, his heart racing within his chest. Magic and he couldn’t tell his mother about it, even without Harry’s words of warning. His mother would explode with conspiracy theories. And it seemed like the governments were actually keeping the fact that magic was real from civilians. His mother would… not like that but his heart was pounding in his chest. “Are there books?”

Harry’s lips twitched up into a small grin and he nodded. “Yeah, there are books. I don’t have a lot with me but I can come by in the next few weeks.”

Spencer slowly grinned and watched as Harry took a step away, waved and then headed back the way they had come.

  
  


* * *

Spencer hesitated briefly a week later as he walked up to the front porch of Harry’s home. He could hear yelling through the door and open windows at the front of the house but nothing else. Spencer ended up knocking on the door and stepping back, rocking back on the heels of his feet and waited. 

The heavy set boy who opened the door wasn’t familiar to him and nor was the older man behind him.

“Who are you?”

“I’m Spencer. Harry’s friend?”

“My cousin already made a friend? Are you another--”

“Dudley! The neighbors! Potter!”

“At least he doesn’t look like his other friends, dad.”

“Why are you here anyway?” the boy asked, crossing his arms and glaring at him. “Harry doesn’t have any friends here.”

“He’s loaning me a book,” Spencer said, his eyes narrowing as he looked between who was probably Dudley Dursley and Harry’s uncle, Vernon. “Why does he live with you guys anyway?”

Vernon Dursley spluttered and crossed his arms. “It’s none of your business, boy. Potter!”

“Another nerd,” Dudley muttered, smirking at him. “Predictable. Another freak too by the looks of you.”

Spencer stared at him, raised an eyebrow. “Kids who bully others are more likely to have criminal convictions and traffic citations as adults. They are also more likely to drop out of school and abuse drugs and alcohol.”

Dudley and Vernon both stared at him, blinking.

“He’s another freak,” Vernon whispered, glaring at him. “We don’t want your kind on our doorstep again!”

“Oh, hey, Spencer! Sorry about the wait!” Harry called out, pushing his uncle and cousin out of the way and meeting him on the porch. “You want to go to the Natural History Museum with me?”

“Sure. What… You don’t drive, do you?”

“No, but we can take the bus,” Harry said, turning around to look at Vernon and Dudley. Harry blinked at the expressions on both their faces, raising an eyebrow before shrugging. “I’ll be back later, uncle. No need to worry. Not like you will anyway.”

Harry gestured for Spencer to move and he fell into step with his new friend as they left Harry’s house. 

“Sorry about them,” Harry muttered once they were out of ear shot. “I’ve gotten used to them unfortunately.”

“It’s fine. I’m used to it.”

“Harry, why do you live with them and not your parents?”

Harry turned to look at Spencer as they walked out onto the sidewalk, the nearest bus stop two blocks away. It wasn’t very hot today luckily and Spencer watched as Harry sighed and flinched. The sun beat down on them, moving occasionally underneath clouds. He was probably used to the climate of London, not Las Vegas. Harry was wearing jeans and a short sleeved shirt while Spencer wore his glasses, a plaid button up shirt and soft pants.

“It’s… not a very pleasant story,” Harry finally offered, quietly.

“Your aunt and uncle are not very pleasant.”

Harry snorted. “That’s an understatement. What did you tell them to make them look like that anyway?”

“I just told them what I knew of bullying.”

Harry blinked and then let out a quiet laugh, lifting his shoulders in a small shrug. “That’s why. You must know a lot about bullying.”

“I know enough to see that your cousin bullies you and that your uncle is afraid for his job.”

Harry raised an eyebrow and then his lips twitched up into a small smile. “Huh. Well, let’s go. I don’t want to be around for more yelling.”

* * *

  
  
  


“Here. It was one of my first textbooks,” Harry remarked, handing over the book in his hands to Spencer. “It’s on the list of required books for first years really. At least at Hogwarts it was.”

Spencer’s eyes widened as he took the thick book.  _ History of Magic  _ by Batilda Bagshot. He traced the cover, watched as it moved underneath his fingers. The letters of the title flickered and moved around wherever he put the pad of his fingers. “Is this really for me?”

He gently opened up the book and read the publication date, taking in the table of contents. Published in 1947. Goblin war #1. Goblin war #2. His eyes widened as he continued to trace his fingers over the letters, the very existence of magic proven within his fingertips.

“Yeah. You said you love to read.”

“I did. I do.”

“Just take care of it.”

“I will.” Spencer pressed his fingers to the first page, already down to the bottom of the page. 

Harry grinned as he watched Spencer’s eyes move down the first page, watched as he turned the page within a minute of Harry giving the book to him. “I don’t have any other books with me as I left them back in London but…”

Spencer didn’t reply for another minute and Harry smiled wider before reaching out a hand to gently grasp Spencer’s shoulder. The other boy shivered slightly at his touch, his blue eyes widening before he went with it and let Harry steer him to a chair. 

* * *

  
  
  
  


“See you whenever I see you next? Hopefully we’ll see each other again,” Harry asked, glancing at Spencer. The Dursleys were already in the car, packed up after two weeks in Las Vegas, and glaring at him for having them wait. Though he did think he saw a flicker of fear in Vernon’s eyes and Harry struggled not to grin. The threat of Sirius coming to visit still worked.

Spencer looked between Harry and his family, seeing the look on Dudley’s face before straightening his shoulders and focusing on Harry. “You’ll bring more books?”

Harry grinned and nodded. “Next time, yeah.”


	2. Chapter 2

Harry sighed and peered down at the vast college campus underneath him. The afternoon sun was high in the sky and hot, warmer than any temperatures that England had during the summer. It had been two years since he had seen Spencer Reid in person but they had exchanged letters with random owls since they had met. Two years and so many memories. Sirius… He had just met Sirius during his third year and now…

A sound left his throat unconsciously and he shook his head in an attempt to vanish the memory of Sirius falling through the veil, of Bellatrix casting the killing curse at her cousin. He slowly made his way to the ground, avoiding the occasional bird, and landed right behind the building that housed the English department for CalTech. 

Spencer had just turned 14 and was taking classes here in Pasadena, during the summer. Harry had made a few special arrangements, with MACUSA mostly, to take some classes during the summer, to avoid England and the bad memories that it held. He had also mostly… not included Dumbledore or anyone from the Ministry in his plans, instead wanting to keep this to himself.

He hadn’t even told the Dursleys where he would be though he didn’t think they cared. MACUSA had come through for him, had made it possible for him to spend a summer away from England. They had in fact sent their equivalent of an auror to guard him and to make sure that the Ministry didn’t have a clue where he was. They had also rented an apartment for him, near the campus, filling it with the necessary furniture and supplies for the summer. And warding it to the gills.

He tucked his broom under his arm and watched from behind the corner as students filed out of the building, talking about their classes. His eyes narrowed as he searched the other students, looking for one in particular and finding him.

“Spencer!”

The only boy amongst the students, with his light brown curly hair and wide glasses, turned at his voice and smiled widely. Spencer Reid was only 14 years old and was already taking college classes, which Harry wasn’t too particularly surprised by.

“Harry!”

Some of the other teenagers stopped to stare as Spencer ran right over to Harry, before they moved on. Spencer walked right over to him and held out his hand, which Harry returned, looking Spencer over for anything out of the ordinary.  Spencer had written of the expected bullying over the last two years and Harry had tried to keep his friend’s mind occupied, not that Spencer wasn’t already busy.

“How are you?” Harry asked, looking up at the couple buildings that lay on the college campus around them.

“I am taking four classes, Harry,” Spencer offered, raising an eyebrow. “You know how I’m doing.”

Harry snorted, smiling a little. “Yes, I know how you’re doing. Come on. Let’s go grab some hot chocolate.”

Spencer nodded, his eyes lighting up as they headed around the building and off of campus. “You said in your last letter that you had a bad professor. Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Spencer… I don’t think so. It was… honestly a miracle that I was able to send you one at all. Professor Umbridge… was fired, the last I heard of her.”

“Fired?”

“Hermione and I… got her stolen by the centaurs,” Harry remarked, shrugging. 

“Stolen by centaurs. You are talking about the horse/man creatures, right?” Spencer asked, his eyes widening.

“Yep. They don’t like strangers messing around with friends of theirs in their territory,” Harry explained, as they crossed the street and headed to the porch of an apartment. He sighed and laid his palm over the door, watched it glow slightly blue and then he nudged it open. The wards over the building swept over him as they stepped inside and something within him sighed in relief. He would be staying here for the rest of the summer, not staying at the Dursleys. 

He would have regular meals everyday and not be bullied every single day for the next couple of months.

Spencer met his eyes as he led them over to the kitchen. There was an island in the center of it, with stools and books spread out over it and Harry watched as Spencer walked over to sit on one of the stools. “How are you here? I thought you would stay with your aunt and uncle. You said something about Dumbledore insisting you stay there.”

“I… What you’re doing gave me the idea,” Harry said, as he looked around the kitchen and walked over to the cabinets, getting some mugs out for drinks. “You’re here alone for college and you’re only 14.”

“Are many 14 year olds approached by the FBI? I’m smarter than most 14 year olds,” Spencer retorted, his eyes narrowing.

Harry blinked and turned to look at his friend. “Spencer? The FBI? Did you do something?”

Spencer froze and then shook his head, a hint of a blush coloring his cheeks. He rocked back on the stool, kicking his feet against the island. “No. I… Sorry.”

“No. You’ve got nothing to apologize for. Why were you approached by the FBI then?”

“They’re interested in having me work for them,” Spencer remarked quietly, watching as Harry turned on the kettle on the stove. “Why don’t you use magic right now?”

“Whoa. Hold on. The American FBI wants you to work for them? You’re barely out of college,” Harry said, meeting Spencer’s eyes easily. Something darkened in Harry’s eyes and Spencer blinked, tilting his head in confusion. “I’m just worried. And as for the magic question… I like doing things the non magical way sometimes. MACUSA tagged me as a person of importance and that would let me use magic right now but you know… sometimes… I don’t want anything to do with the magical world.”

Spencer raised an eyebrow, looking at Harry intently. “What happened?”

“Sirius died.”

Spencer froze mid kick against the island, his eyes widening. “Your dogfather?”

Harry swallowed and nodded, as he stirred in the chocolate. “Yeah.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. That’s… why I’m here for the summer,” Harry said, pulling over the bag of marshmallows and looking at Spencer with a pointed question. Spencer nodded vehemently and Harry popped in a few marshmallows and brought both mugs over. “I wanted… I wanted to learn what I could this summer, maybe figure out why Voldemort’s been so hard to kill.”

Spencer’s eyes sparked with interest, lighting up even more. “Books?”

Harry smiled faintly and gestured over to one in particular. “You said you wanted to read that one in one of your letters.”

Spencer reached for the aforementioned book without hesitation, his mouth curling up into a pleased grin.  _ Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them _ by Newt Scamander. Harry watched as Spencer reached out for one of the mugs and brought it up to his mouth to sip, his attention already elsewhere. A pleased sound left Spencer’s throat as he drank the first sip of the hot liquid and Harry grinned.

“You’ve got a sweet tooth,” Harry muttered. 

“You have one too,” Spencer argued gleefully, turning the first page. 

“Yes, I have one too. You got me there.” 

  
  


* * *

“What do you have to do to become an animagus?” Spencer questioned, watching as Harry paced about the living room. 

“It’s complicated, I think. My dad and his friends did it so there’s a good chance I’ll be able to do it too.”

“Is it an inherited ability? Are there inherited abilities?”

“No, I don’t think it’s inherited,” Harry answered, closing his eyes and concentrating. “There’s a potion that I have to brew or get brewed. There’s a good potions master in the wizarding town close by and then I have to drink it and… well, there’s a list of things to do.”

“As for inherited abilities, I think the metamorphmagus ability is inherited,” Harry added, pondering that and then shaking his head. “Then again… I’m not too sure. You’d probably know more than me at this point.”

“Are you taking summer courses?” Spencer asked, as he spread out his own summer work on his work table and looked through it. “Is there a wizarding school or post… Hogwarts level school here? How many wizards and witches live in the United States anyway?”

Harry grinned faintly at Spencer’s questions. “I don’t know exactly. Probably a lot more than in England but I didn’t stop to ask in the lobby of MACUSA’s offices in New York. I am however already enrolled in two summer courses here, right next door to CalTech actually.”

“Defense and healing?”

“Yes. How’d you know?” Harry stopped pacing and walked over to their work table to sit across from Spencer. He flipped open one of his own books and scanned the lines.

“You said as much in your letter last year,” Spencer offered, his eyes glued to his own books. “You like to help people too. I figured healing would be one of them.”

Harry frowned before he sighed. “Not you too.”

“Hmm?”

“Hermione said I have a people saving thing,” Harry said, before dropping his arms down to the table and meeting Spencer’s eyes.  “I saved Buckbeak , Dobby, Sirius… I tried to save him this time but--”

“That’s not your fault,” Spencer interrupted, raising his voice a little bit. “Voldemort was there and Bellatrix was there. You said Dumbledore was not there at that moment and that it was just you and your friends.”

“Yeah. It feels like it’s my fault though,” Harry muttered, eating a bite of the lunch that a house elf had dropped off. “I led my friends to the Ministry to stop a dream that wasn’t actually…”

“It’s still not your fault. You’re just one year older than me and I wouldn’t be able to… do what you did.”

“It requires training,” Harry said, sighing. “Training, luck, and adrenaline. I hope you’re never in that situation.”

“I’m not a wizard.”

“Do you know why you are sharing dreams or visions with Voldemort?” Spencer asked, twirling the pen around in his hands as he wrote up a paper. “I could look through some books with you.”

“I would have to pick up some books at the local library,” Harry remarked, running a hand through his hair. “Hermione’s gonna be so proud. I actually did work during the summer.”

Spencer snorted. “And wasn’t interrupted by your aunt and uncle.”

Harry grinned. “That too. I like that bit.”

  
  


* * *

“I’ve had enough of studying right now,” Harry said, yawning a little bit. A month had passed since he had some to America to spend some time away from England, a month of just… living with Spencer in Pasadena, California. He had been able to enroll in the two summer classes at a small, local wizarding school and was now learning spells that would be introduced in his next year of classes. Some he figured would even be more advanced than sixth year spellwork. Defense work was easy for him, ever since he had mastered the patronus charm. Even a few older students in his class hadn’t mastered that spell. “I just finished studying to be an animagus. Spencer… you interested in movie night?”

“Have you tried using the spell yet?” Spencer called over, from their joint work table. 

“No… At least not yet.”

Spencer looked at him and Harry laughed, gesturing to the couch. “You’re just as bad as my professors. Here. I already know what my form is. Give me a minute.”

Spencer’s eyes lit up and he shuffled his chair back from the table to give Harry his full attention.

Harry grinned and whispered the incantation under his breath, feeling his holly wand warm in his hand. One minute he was on two legs and the next he was on four, standing as high as the table and even a little higher. His tail swished behind him and his coat radiated heat even now. He peered right into Spencer’s eyes to see them widen even more, a smile forming on his face.

“You’re pretty,” Spencer whispered, reaching out to touch. “Black panther. Species name is panthera. It’s a melanistic colo r variant to leopards. You’re taller and bigger than the average panther, Harry.”

Harry purred and grinned, showing more teeth than he would have had he been on two legs. Spencer laughed quietly and patted his head softly. 

  
  


* * *

“When you had the dream, did your scar hurt?” Spencer asked, not even looking up from the book he was reading. Harry looked up at him from across the table a week later, almost to the end of summer, and nodded in answer, not knowing what Spencer had found. He was reading one of the books that Harry had picked up from the local wizarding library, an old book that wasn’t in any restricted section.

“Do you know if your parents or any of your grandparents had the ability you do? Parseltongue, I mean.”

“I don’t think they did. Hermione said no one in the Potter line had it and I’m pretty sure no one in my mother’s family would have had it. What have you found?” Harry asked, standing up and coming over to Spencer’s side. 

“I found something called horcruxes,” Spencer remarked, tracing the lines in the book with a finger. Harry read over Spencer’s shoulder, following his finger. “Voldemort transferred some of his knowledge and talents to you when he tried to kill you. If I understand correctly.”

“You are. These mean what you think they mean and they mean that…”

“Voldemort split his soul and gave a part of it to you,” Spencer whispered, his eyes widening. “Is that even…”

Spencer’s eyes widened as he trailed off. “Voldemort could see what you see.”

“No. I’ve been training with someone here for the summer. My mind’s closed now to anyone but me,” Harry said, his eyes narrowing in thought. “He probably didn’t do it on purpose. Horcruxes. Good job. Thank you. I don’t think… You haven’t come across anything else like this, have you?”

“No. Nothing else that would be like the bond you two seem to have.”

“ _ Bond _ .” Harry’s nose wrinkled at the thought.

Spencer seemed to share the same opinion as he had lost the color on his face. “The author doesn’t share any thoughts on how to dispose of a horcrux.”

Harry’s eyes narrowed as he read even more down the page, pondering what it said. “The diary in my second year. That was probably a horcrux.”

Spencer raised an eyebrow.

“I struck a basilisk fang through it,” Harry answered, closing his eyes as memories flooded him. “It killed the piece of the soul that was in it, I suppose. It would make sense for it to be a horcrux. Spencer,  _ thank you.  _ How’d you get so smart?”

“You’re welcome. Can I have more panther time please?”

Harry smiled and squeezed Spencer’s shoulders lightly, feeling his friend lean into his grip a little. Harry met Spencer’s eyes and watched as he shrugged. Harry grinned and sat back up, looking over his books again. He looked over Spencer’s books and his eyes widened at many of the titles, knowing he couldn’t even begin to be able to understand them. 

“Tonight. You were going to spend the night, right?” 

“I was. The resident assistant in my dorm okayed it. They know where I am. Diana knows you’re here too.”

“Is she still…”

Spencer turned away and back to the book on the table, not meeting Harry’s eyes. 

“Ah. You’re going to have to let me know what the FBI want,” Harry offered, crooking a finger to get a chair to move over and sat down on it. “I have to go back to England next week just so that the Ministry and… Dumbledore don’t know where I’ve been. And Spencer… it might be best if we slow our communication down to one owl a month perhaps or… I could spell a journal.”

“Like the diary?”

“Exactly like the diary except not infused with an evil soul,” Harry added, snorting at the thought. Spencer laughed and Harry grinned.

  
  


* * *

“When will we see each other next?” Spencer questioned, watching as Harry closed the door to his apartment. “And Hedwig?”

“Hedwig probably misses you too but she stayed with the Weasleys this summer. I didn’t want to make her fly the whole way across the Atlantic twice. I don’t know when we’ll next see each other but we can still keep in touch. We don’t even have to use quills.”

Spencer’s lips twitched up into a grin even as he noted the three magical people that had kept Harry safe. They were easy to pick out from non magical people, from their posture to their eyes. Spencer had even met a few of them over the course of the summer, since Harry had had to tell them that Spencer knew about the magical world.

“Be safe?” Spencer asked, keeping his arms to his sides. “The professors at Hogwarts do not sound as supportive as the ones here.”

“There are a few that… are worse,” Harry offered, his eyes darkening. “We got rid of Umbridge and whoever Dumbledore chooses to be the next Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher will not last anyway.”

Spencer blinked and Harry grinned. “That job is jinxed. No one lasts more than a year.”

“It sounds very peculiar,” Spencer remarked, crossing his arms for a second and then curling his shoulders inward. 

“Rumor has it that it’s Voldemort’s doing,” Harry said, shrugging. “He didn’t get the job so no one lasts. Anyway… let me know if you need help with anything, like getting the FBI off you. And sorry that I didn’t get to go to more of the basketball games that you coached.”

Spencer’s eyes lit up at the mention of them. “The team actually talks to me now.”

Harry grinned. “I bet they do. You want to watch me?”

Spencer nodded and watched as Harry backed up, taking an old tire from one of the aurors. A minute later Harry vanished, taken away by magical portkey, and Spencer’s heart skipped several beats before he turned away and rode off on his bike. 


End file.
